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Nature has given us some pretty incredible things—and creatures that glow in the night are at the top of the list. Here’s why bioluminescence happens and where you can travel to see it.

Outdoor experiences—from hiking through rainforests to kayaking with sea turtles—abound in this island destination. Raimundo Espinoza, founder of Conservación ConCiencia, gives recommendations on the most fun and feel-good ways to travel here.

The growing number of green properties on this tropical island make it a natural choice for blissed-out wellness retreats—and an emerging sustainability leader.

Forget your passport and forget your couch—whether you’re flying solo or bringing the crew, here’s how to turn remote work into an extended vacation in Puerto Rico.

With mountains, rainforest, and the Caribbean Sea—including after-hours bioluminescent bays—there’s so much more to do in Puerto Rico beyond sunbathing.

Marine life is as vibrant as overland life.

The most serene day trip is to this small town on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico, just an hour south of the popular surf destination of Rincon.


Hourly boat rentals are available for you to skip around to all the local ocean mangroves that surround the area. Johnny’s Boats is your best bet, located in the center of Parguera marina. Ask for Naji to help set you up with your own outboard motor boat; he’ll greet you with a smile!



Each boat fits around five people comfortably. Add a cooler and sandwiches and you’re looking at a beautiful excursion. The Caribbean Ocean never looked so blue.

In La Parguera, Puerto Rico, 100 feet below the surface of the ocean, lies a world teeming with beauty and grace, full of color and life, just waiting to be explored. This is one of my favorite dives—the Black Wall, named for the black coral that grows along the 1,000-foot drop off the shelf edge. This photo was taken on my very first dive to this site. We had 100-foot visibility this day—a perfect dive, filled with colorful tropical fish and invertebrates. This photo features the Feather Duster, situated among other brightly-colored invertebrate fauna and flora. I love this dive site because it represents a colorful Caribbean that is quickly becoming less abundant and diverse.

A short drive from the sleepy fishing village of La Parguera on the southern coast, some of the best reefs of Puerto Rico are right at your fingertips. A weekend getaway for locals, here you’ll find boat rentals and charters to supply you with a day of snorkeling, diving, booze cruising if you choose, and a night of bioluminescent thrills. Come spend the day on or under the water at the many reefs of La Parguera. It’s a must-dive site before leaving the island. My favorite spots are Enrique, San Cristobal, Turrumote, and The Wall.

This is Isla Magueyes, the island that once harbored the Mayaguez Zoo but was later turned into the Department of Marine Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. This is solely a graduate department, offering degrees in four disciplines of oceanography. Isla Magueyes is also home to brown Cuban iguanas—pretty much found only on this little island where they are content with human visitors and residents of the island. To give you a glimpse of these large iguanas, you can take tours from mainland La Parguera that will pass by Isla Magueyes. You won’t usually see them anywhere else in Puerto Rico, thanks to the invasive green iguana seen everywhere. If you’re a visiting scientist or prospective student to the department, you can even stay on Isla Magueyes while conducting research or classes.

Feel like wading in the water at night? There’s no better place than the Bioluminescent Bay in La Parguera. I had been countless times a child and a couple of years ago, I remembered it as a magical spectacle decided to take some of my non-Puerto Rican friends to witness it. As the boat leaves the dock, you pass by colorful wooden houses and see the white foam of the waves crashing softly against the boat. When you’re far enough away from shore, the boat stops and it’s quiet enough to hear invisible birds chirping and a splash of stars in the sky. Then someone dives in and you can see green light that swiftly plays along with his movements. You can shake your hands rapidly in buckets full of bay water to see the water sparkle, and when you take them out, you’ll think you have the stars in your hands. It’s that beautiful. You are then given the chance to dive into the water, as well. Take it. Swirl around in the cool water and you’ll practically become luminescent yourself. The water will be your partner: Together you’ll both shine, alone you’ll both be in the darkness. I have never found a more real communion with water. A few tips to make the best of your night: --Go on the darkest night possible. --Roam the nearby area for authentic Puerto Rican fritters and candies (many of them made with coconut); drinks like mojito, beer, pina colada, and giant piraguas (shaved ice with syrup); and artisanal crafts. There is often music, as well.

This was the experience of a lifetime. We were fortunate to be there on the required dark night with no moon. We used see-through canoes to paddle to the middle of this inlet off the Caribbean at midnight. All wildlife in the very clear water was luminescent -- we could see fish jumping and swimming and plankton hanging around. This bay is one of very few in the world that lights up at night -- a true glow-in-the-dark experience brought to you by Mother Nature.

Phosphorescence isn’t a phenomenon limited to Puerto Rico, but the island’s phosphorescent bays (there are three of them: one in Fajardo, one in La Parguera, and one on Vieques) are easily accessible with tour operators and provide a memorable experience for visitors who have never experienced this magical nocturnal phenomenon. The bays’ depth and warmth create the perfect conditions for microscopic dinoflagellates to flourish, and these tiny creatures emit light that makes them look like stars in the sky slipped straight into the water. You can kayak through a mangrove channel to reach the bays, guided by an expert kayaker who can tell you more. Lucky visitors might see fish flashing by like neon streaks. Leave your camera in your hotel room; you can’t capture the phosphorescence without special equipment.